Articles | Vivekananda International Foundation

Afghanistan in 2024: A Year of Diplomacy, Economic Challenges, and Humanitarian Crises under Taliban 2.0

February 20, 2025 Dr Angana Kotokey, Research Associate, VIF Article

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the country has found itself at the centre of complex geopolitical dynamics. The Taliban's resurgence as Afghanistan's ruling regime is marked by a mix of isolationism and selective engage....

Neighbourhood Studies , Afghanistan

Tags : Article , economy , Afghanistan , Diplomacy , Humanitarian Crisis , 2024

The Resurgence of M23 Rebel Group in Democratic Republic of Congo

February 20, 2025 Dr Shambhavi Anand, Research Assistant, VIF Commentary

February 12, 2025, marked an important shift in the activities of the M23 rebels. The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) turned grim after the M23 rebels resumed their offensive against Congolese government forces just two days after....

International Relations and Diplomacy

Tags : Commentary , US , China , UN , critical minerals , DRC , M23

India's Strategic Balancing in Navigating the Arc of Instability and Conflict in the Western Indian Ocean

February 18, 2025 Dr. Raghvendra Kumar Article

Introduction: Context and Relevance The magnitude of overlapping and interlinked conflicts in West Asia, Northern, and Eastern Africa makes 2024 one of the most volatile years in the global political landscape, affecting the lives and liv....

International Relations and Diplomacy

Tags : Article , Africa , trade , India’s foreign policy , energy , Strategic Autonomy , diaspora , Regional Security Dynamics , Arc of Instability , West Asia Conflict , Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Geopolitics , Multi-alignment , and Regional Stability.

Greenland in the Arctic Chessboard: History, Geopolitics, and Strategic Importance

February 17, 2025 Dr Shreya Sinha, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

US President Donald Trump’s proposition to acquire Greenland through sale has sparked debate and put the world’s largest island back on the global agenda. This brings to the forefront the need to understand the history of Greenland’s ownership,....

International Relations and Diplomacy

Tags : Article , Trump , USA , EU , Arctic , Denmark , Greenland , North Atlantic

Opinion | Samvad And The Asian Century Of Dharma And Dhamma

February 16, 2025 Dr Anirban Ganguly Article

The fourth edition of Samvad – the Global Hindu-Buddhist Initiative for Conflict Avoidance and Environmental Consciousness will be held in Thailand from 14 to 17 February. This flagship outreach programme, initiated in 2015 by Prime Minister....

Historical and Civilisational Studies

Tags : Article , Samvad , dharma , The Asian Century , Dhamma , Hindu-Buddhist Initiative

Escalating Tensions: The Ongoing Conflict in Kurram

February 14, 2025 Dr Anchita Borthakur Article

Kurram, a strategically located district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, has garnered significant media attention in recent months, though unfortunately, not for the right reasons. The year 2024 remained yet another violent year for t....

Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan

Tags : Article , Pakistan , FATA , Geopolitics , TTP , Shia , Sunni , Jirga , Kurram , Land Dispute , Regional Proxy War , Sectarian Conflict , Afghanistan.

National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM): A Strategic Approach to Strengthening India's Mineral Security

February 13, 2025 PK Khup Hangzo Article

The shift to clean energy has significantly increased the demand for critical materials. Technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries require far more minerals than traditional fossil fuel-based systems, making the....

Climate Change

Tags : Article , Clean energy transition , critical minerals , National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) , Geological Survey of India (GSI) , National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) , US-China technology war

Contested Figures: The Reality of US Aid Assistance to Pakistan

February 12, 2025 Bharath R Nair Article

Summary Discrepancies between U.S. and Pakistani data on foreign aid reveal a lack of transparency and accountability in Pakistan’s fund management. The U.S. reports billions in aid, while Pakistan records much less, suggesting potenti....

International Relations and Diplomacy

Tags : Article , FATA , USAID , Aid , UNHCR , Critical Infrastructure , Obligation , Disbursement , Green Revolution , Kerry-Lugar-Berman

USAID and its Crony Humanitarianism

February 11, 2025 Rajesh Singh Commentary

One may or may not agree with the Trump Administration’s decision to effectively handcuff the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). But the allegations against USAID for serving all sorts of ‘liberal’ causes in the guise o....

Governance and Political Studies

Tags : Commentary , USAID , Heritage Foundation , Sheikh Hasina , George Soros , Reporters Without Borders , OCF , Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , International Republication Institute

If We Must, ‘Fight with What We Have’!

February 10, 2025 Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

It may be Chinese belligerence territorially, in the battle space or geopolitically, and Pakistani obstinacy in continuing proxy war in J&K and preparations for conventional war with nuclear threat, war can be thrust on India without tell-tale signs.....

National Security and Strategic Studies

Tags : Article , India , Defence budget , Defence Acquisition Council , Defence Capability